CVE-2017-16922
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIn com.wowza.wms.timedtext.http.HTTPProviderCaptionFile in Wowza Streaming Engine before 4.7.1, traversal of the directory structure and retrieval of a file are possible via a remote, specifically crafted HTTP request.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA path traversal vulnerability exists in the HTTPProviderCaptionFile component of Wowza Streaming Engine versions prior to 4.7.1. Attackers can craft HTTP requests containing directory traversal sequences (e.g., '../') to escape the intended web root and retrieve arbitrary files from the server's filesystem.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 4.7.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate Wowza Streaming Engine installation and versionCheck the installation directory for a version file or check the WowzaStreamingEngine-Version.txt file typically found in the installation root. Alternatively, access the Wowza admin panel (port 8088 by default) and look at the Server > Server Info section which displays the installed version.Affected if The installed version is lower than 4.7.1 (e.g., 4.7.0, 4.6.x, 4.5.x, etc.)
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Identify if HTTPProviderCaptionFile is enabledLocate the conf/VHost.xml and conf/Application.xml configuration files in the Wowza installation directory. Search for any HTTPProviderCaptionFile entries within the <HTTPProviders> section. Also check conf/http.provider for any custom provider configurations.Affected if HTTPProviderCaptionFile is present and enabled in the VHost.xml or Application.xml configuration files, meaning the component is exposed and accessible via HTTP.
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Verify HTTPProviderCaptionFile endpoint accessibilityReview the <HTTPProviders> configuration to confirm HTTPProviderCaptionFile is bound to a publicly accessible port (typically 8087 or 443). Check for any IP-based access restrictions in the <IPAccess> settings that might limit who can reach this endpoint.Affected if The endpoint is bound to an accessible port without IP restrictions, making it exploitable from the network.
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Test for path traversal vulnerabilitySend a crafted HTTP request to the HTTPProviderCaptionFile endpoint containing directory traversal sequences (e.g., GET /captionfile/../../../conf/admin.password HTTP/1.1) using curl or a similar tool. Compare the response to expected behavior.Affected if The server returns file contents from outside the intended web root (e.g., the admin.password file or other system files), confirming the path traversal is exploitable.
Your environment is affected if Wowza Streaming Engine version is below 4.7.1 AND the HTTPProviderCaptionFile component is enabled and accessible on an exposed port.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data4.7.1
Upgrade Wowza Streaming Engine to version 4.7.1 or later to obtain the patched component. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, consider restricting access to the HTTPProviderCaptionFile endpoint via network-level controls or firewall rules.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16922 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-16922 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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